Is Medical Cannabis a Cure for Cancer?

A group of federal researchers hired by the US government to prove there is “no medicinal value” to marijuana inadvertently let the cat out of the bag when they found exactly the opposite to be true. Not only did they find that marijuana indeed has medicinal value, but that it actually kills cancer cells. And the federal researchers behind the study were none other than the National Institute on Drug Abuse themselves.

Cannabinoids Weaken Cancer Cells

That’s right. The research performed by a team of scientists at St. George’s University of London, revealed that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), the two most common cannabinoids in marijuana, actually weakened cancer cells and made them more receptive to radiation treatment.

This is certainly a far cry from claims that marijuana has no medical value. So although it still remains a Schedule Class I dangerous substance under the Controlled Substance Act, it also holds the ability to cure one of the deadliest diseases in history.

Lead researcher of the study Dr. Wai Liu expressed the same when he wrote the following in the Washington Post. “We’ve shown that cannabinoids could play a role in treating one of the most aggressive cancers in adults. The results are promising…it could provide a way of breaking through tumors and saving more lives.”

While this certainly isn’t the only study that’s shown marijuana to hold the potential to cure cancer, it is the only one the government is (semi) standing behind. The problem is, it completely contradicts the fact that marijuana is classified as a substance as dangerous as heroin and cocaine. Perhaps this is the change we’ve been waiting for and outdated policies and beliefs will finally crumble and marijuana can be taken off the list of “most dangerous” drugs.

What Other Studies Have to Say

Amongst the other studies (none backed by the US government) that showed cannabis shows potential to cure cancer, there have been numerous promising results. The following published studies all demonstrate what many medical marijuana activists have been saying for years. Cannabis is a cure for cancer.

British Journal of Cancer

This 2006 study was conducted by the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Complutense University in Madrid and determined that THC and other cannabinoids prevent the growth of brain tumors. This was the first clinical study that was directed in evaluating cannabinoid anti-tumor function. THC was shown to decrease cancer cells in two out of nine patients.

US National Library of Medicine

This study was led by researchers at the California Pacific Medical Center and showed that cannabidiol (CBD) inhibits an increase in breast cancer and breast cancer cell invasion. It also showed that CBD was responsible for decreasing breast tumor mass.

Another study published by the US Library of Medicine was led by the Institute of Toxicology and Pharmacology from the Department of General Surgery in Germany revealed that cannabinoids impede the invasion of cancer cells. The effects of this particular study were conducted on primary lung cancer tumor cells.

They also published another study that was conducted by Harvard Medical School that looked further into the role of cannabinoids as an effective treatment for lung cancer. The results determined that it was in fact extremely effective and should be used in treating patients with lung cancer.

The US National Library of Medicine has also published numerous studies that outline the effectiveness of cannabis on prostate cancer.

Molecular Cancer

A study published in this popular journal revealed that THC reduced tumor growth and tumor numbers. This was another study that highlighted how cannabinoids inhibit cancer cell proliferation, encourages the death of cancer cells, and impairs angiogenesis, which is connected to the growth of new tumor cells.

American Journal of Cancer

This particular published study was conducted on pancreatic cancer patients and concluded with promising results. It showed that cannabinoid receptors are found in much higher numbers in pancreatic tumor cells than in normal pancreatic cells. Cannabinoids induced apoptosis, reduced their growth, and prevented them from spreading.

The results are in. It’s pretty unanimous across the board that cannabis is promising as a cure for cancer. Perhaps now that the US government has slipped up in its study and we know that they know, marijuana will begin to be seen for what it really is. A powerful medicine whose time has come as one that will bring hope to millions of cancer patients worldwide. We are definitely moving forward.